This patent disclosure generally relates to footwear and, more particularly, to athletic shoes with cleats thereon.
Athletes often use specialized footwear to enhance their performance. In a variety of sports, traction on a playing field is improved by wearing a spiked or cleated shoe. Cleat systems have evolved into two typical structures—cleats that are molded as part of the sole of a shoe and cleats that are detachable from the sole.
The detachable cleat systems typically permit an athlete to change the length of cleat on the shoe to account for the field conditions caused by weather and the type of turf, and the specific activity being performed on the turf. With regard to football, a standard seven studded detachable cleat system is typically used by most shoe manufacturers. Soccer typically uses a similar cleat system but has one fewer cleat.
Most sports utilize specific positions on the playing field that require the mastering of different skill sets. Football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, as well as many other sports, utilize positions or skill sets that rely on certain starting stances, movements, and other unique actions that vary from one position to the next. However, each of the athletes within a sport typically wears shoes that are configured in a similar, if not identical, manner. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an enhanced athletic shoe that will take into consideration the specific needs of an athlete in order to improve his/her performance.